Passenger Seat
by mitsys
Summary: Hiccup jams the keys into the ignition, wondering when his life started revolving around stray cats, chance encounters, and car rides with Berk High's volleyball captain. A full story told in snippets, linked together on a long string of spontaneous inspiration and Elmer's glue. Art by the ever-wonderful meltesh28 on tumblr. Active again as of Dec. 2016.
1. Lavender Shampoo

**This has been sitting in my online typewriter account for a long, long time, and I figure I should face my fears and post it. It's already finished, but I like all of my fics to be different, so this is a tribute to not only some of my favorite hiccstrid modern aus, but also my favorite fic layout: plot-lined snippet fics.**

* * *

 _September 21st- morning_

"I gotta go to school, bud."

Toothless gives him an inquisitive look, blinking his big green eyes, and Hiccup sighs. "You gotta go. Shoo."

He kneels down to pet him anyway, rubbing his fingers against the soft spot behind Toothless's ears. The autumn sun feels warm on his back, and Hiccup drops to his knees to pick up the lanky cat, feeling him brace his back paws against his chest. Toothless had learned to sheath his claws around him a long time ago, but only after some conspicuous scratches and some strange questions from Fishlegs.

His black fur is clean and soft, evidence of the bath Hiccup had given him yesterday, and Hiccup breathes in the scent of lavender flea shampoo and pine needles. "You really gotta go. Dad will be home tonight."

He gets a purr and a swift cheek-rub along his jaw in response and Hiccup wants to put him inside, let him sleep on a bed instead of a box in the gardener's shed. Instead he tucks the cat closer to himself, mouthing words into his clean coat.

"I know, I'll figure it all out soon."


	2. September Sun

_September 21st- afternoon_

He hasn't figured it out by the last period of the day, and he hopes desperately that Toothless didn't decide to wait up on him again. The front porch was probably the worst place for him right now, and the last thing Hiccup wanted to risk was Toothless's well being.

His locker jams again when he tries to open it, and after a few firm yanks it opens with a ominous clattering. Hiccup isn't sure he'll be able to get his English book out next time, but he takes the chance anyway. He's read The Great Gatsby enough times to know the metaphors.

Instead of worrying about it he presses his forehead to the cold metal, breathing out. It was Friday, he had the whole weekend to keep his father from finding the cat. He could lock Toothless in the gardener's shed... or something.

Hiccup resists the urge to slam his head against the locker door. This wasn't working. His whole life wasn't working. The application to Columbia was still blank, his entry essays to his other choices still unwritten, and his best friend could get chased off the property within the week. But he's making honor roll, so it's fine. Right?

He lifts his head from the door and shuts the locker, hearing the lock click and rattle. At least he was on the honor roll.

Grabbing his backpack, he turns on a heel and wonders if there's still Advil in the cabinet at home. He remembered buying some last week, but where the bottle was now he didn't know. He presses a palm to the push handle of the left side of the double doors. That's when he spots her through the double door windows, a familiar blonde ponytail and red uniform shorts.

She's trotting to her spot on the outdoor volleyball court, bare feet slipping as she plows through the sand. He can hear the coach yelling as he opens the doors, something about how being fast in the sand is the equivalent of being invincible on the court, and Hiccup tunes out as he steals looks at the team captain.

Astrid Hofferson.

She's made of power and authority, and Hiccup isn't sure why he covets the sight, but he does. He feels terribly weird, looking at her from across the courtyard, but he lingers anyway, hand holding the door open behind him. Her orders rise up over the girls' voices, and Hiccup watches as the team scrambles into scrimmage formation.

She turns, wisps of gold coming out from under her headband to fall in her face, and they glint in the September sun as she meets his eyes. His heart races in leaps and bounds as she shifts her weight to the opposite side, and he wonders if he should smile, or wave, or _something._ She turns away to throw the ball over the net, and the moment is gone. Hiccup ducks his head, and suddenly he's alone again, standing with the door open and blood pounding in his ears.


	3. Misty Shortcuts

_October 23rd- morning_

The trail splits, and Astrid takes the left side. Always the left.

The right took her to the backyard of a house, and though she's often wondered who lives there, she never truly finds out what the 'H' on their mailbox meant, or who owns the expensive car in the driveway.

It unnerves her to lurk around someone's home, so she takes the left. That trail drops her off behind the football field of the high school and cuts a half mile off her walk to and from school, so it's enough.

Except for today. Today it's too much.

The mist is so thick she can hardly see past her hand, much past the next few feet of the trail. Blindly trying to find footing among the tree roots and uneven dirt is more trouble than just braving the extra half mile, especially if it meant avoiding a broken ankle. She plows on anyways, too stubborn to turn back, but when noises start to crackle to the left of her, Astrid starts to wonder if this trail was a good idea in the first place.

Dying on someone else's property on the day of her Calculus exam wasn't exactly her idea of a good time.

The sound intensifies as a cat leaps out of the bushes beside her, and she represses a shriek as her heart tries to burst out of her chest. She drops her bag as readies herself to run, but it quickly registers that she was not going to die at the hands of a cat. She relaxes, hands dropping back down to her sides. It was just a cat, Astrid, just a cat.

The animal stops right in front of her, the fur along its spine ruffled and its shortened tail lashing, and annoyance slowly overtakes shock. Stupid cat. Did he have to explode out of the bushes like a bat out of hell? Astrid stares the cat down, meeting its bright green eyes with a venomous look.

It's a huge cat, almost the size of an ocelot, but pure black and just about the lankiest thing she's ever seen. Astrid comes to the conclusion that whoever he belongs to must be crazy to let such a monster roam the streets unsupervised.

Its ears flick as Astrid moves to pick up her bag, and she dusts it off with a few quick pats before slinging it over her shoulders. "That was rude."

The cat only blinks at her, and Astrid turns her head as more rustling comes from her left. Another cat, maybe? She moves to glance at the other culprit, wondering how many cats this forest could hold without bursting at the seams, and her answer comes crashing through the brush.

He lands hard, all long limbs and clumsy movements, and Astrid freezes as she realizes that it's not a cat, but Hiccup Haddock.


	4. Chance Encounter

**Thursdays mean 2 things. The bakery I like opens, and updating this fic.**

* * *

 _October 23rd- morning_

Hiccup decides he hates mist.

Toothless bounds out in front of him at the sound of food, and Hiccup feels his chest loosen the farther they get from the house. The cat weaves in and out from between his legs, chirping up at him as he tries to watch where he was stepping. After an agonizing long, slow set of strides, Toothless finally untangles himself from his shins to trot out in front of him.

His short tail flicks and Hiccup nearly trips as the cat stops short. Gathering himself back up, Hiccup holds the bowl up higher. "No. This is the last of the bag, you can't have it until we get to the shed. I have to get more after school."

Toothless lets out an indignant _miaow_ in response, and Hiccup reaches down to pat his head, holding the stolen ceramic as far away from him as possible. He nudges his phone out of his back pocket as he straightens, glancing at the digital clock on his lockscreen. 6:30. Getting late, and he still had a teacher to talk to before class. He ushers Toothless back into a brisk walk by shaking the food as he went.

Luring Toothless into the shed with the dry food, Hiccup sets him up on the table to eat, taking inventory as he went. Bed? Check. Food and water? Check. Box? Check.

It was all here. Hiccup shoulders his bag as he listens to the _crick-crack-crunch_ of Toothless eating, and narrowly avoids getting hit with the cat's tail as he sets down his phone. He gives the cat's back an affectionate pat before straightening, preparing for the mad dash between the worktable and the door.

With a hop, skip, and a dash, Hiccup makes a run for it, slamming the shed door and hitching the latch. He hates doing this, but it was the only way to keep Toothless from hanging around the house while he was at school. Heaving a sigh, he dusts off the fronts of his jeans, patting over his pockets as he goes down.

He stops.

His phone. With another pat, he smacks his forehead against the shed door. He left his phone on the table next to the food bowl. Toothless gives an irritated meow from inside, and Hiccup sighs. If he didn't do it now, he would miss any opportunity to get his phone back before two thirty.

Begrudgingly, he puts his hand on the door. Now or never. Hiccup rips the door back open, dancing back inside before Toothless could weasel his way between his legs. Stuffing his phone in his pocket, he picks the unhappy cat up, setting him back on the worktable. "Stay."

Toothless doesn't look at him, busy lashing his tail and looking at the door, and Hiccup makes a break for it. The cat is faster though, and Hiccup is barely out the door when a shock of black streaks past his legs. Hiccup curses and resigns himself to giving chase, dropping his bag onto the dirt trail behind him as he sprints after the cat.

They're heading in the direction of the house. The house that his father would be leaving at this very moment. Hiccup runs faster, dodging tree roots as he goes. He's not the running type, his lungs are on fire, but he presses forward anyway, desperation forcing adrenaline into his veins. He's suddenly thankful he didn't forget his inhaler this morning.

Toothless leaps daringly over a shrub where the trails criss-cross, and Hiccup sees him stop in front of another figure. The figure turns, blond braid falling over one shoulder, and Hiccup feels his insides die.

That was the precise moment he hit the bush.

His legs tangle as his arms go out, plowing straight through the shrub and into the trail. Hiccup flinches as the dirt smears across the left side of his face, grainy and rough, and he contemplates feigning unconsciousness until she went away.

Was Astrid Hofferson the type to leave an unconscious guy on a muddy trail?

Probably not.

He lifts his head, and with a twinge of betrayal, he comes face to face with Toothless. The cat bumps noses with him, his wet one cold against Hiccup's, and he sees Astrid kneel a little ways away.

"Hiccup?" She asks, ducking her head to meet his eyes, and Hiccup feels his heart stutter.

He pushes himself up off the ground weakly. "Yeah- that's me I guess." Toothless salts the wound by going to nudge against Astrid's knees, and Hiccup pretends not to act surprised. Toothless had never shown interest in other people before, much less someone he'd never met. He always vacated the area when Fishlegs made appearances, and Hiccup knew he didn't wander far enough to find other human company.

Either way, Toothless presses himself fondly into Astrid's hands, and he could hear the cat's throaty purr from where he was.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asks, hands wandering absently over Toothless's coat, and Hiccup scrambles to his feet.

"Yeah- I'm good. It's just dirt."

Astrid stands with him, picking up Toothless as she went, and Hiccup watches as the cat nudges his angular head underneath her jaw, purring contentedly. Who did he think he was, getting so cuddly with someone he'd just met? Wait, had they met before? Was Toothless two-timing him?

Was he on dating terms with a cat?

"I- Why are you back here?" The words stumble out of his mouth before he can properly think them over, and he wants to smack himself as her face twists in confusion.

Astrid shifts uncomfortably, shouldering her bag back up from her arm. "I use the trail to get to school. It cuts half a mile off and this way I don't have to cross as many- wait, what are you doing back here?"

Hiccup freezes up. "It's- It's my dad's land. I hide Toothless back here."

"Toothless?" Astrid repeats, and her eyes flash back to the cat in her arms. " _Him_?"

"Yeah, he- the reason is stupid. Just-" Hiccup trips over his sentences, and he feels a flush start at the tips of his ears. "Don't tell anyone about him."

Astrid moves closer to transfer Toothless into his arms. "Here. Sorry for intruding." Her voice is curt and Hiccup tries not to stutter as his face flushes with embarrassment.

"No- I- I'm sorry. My dad would kill me if he found out I was feeding some stray cat. I've been feeding him in a gardener's shed and I didn't think anyone actually used these trails." He pauses for a moment, mulling over his words for a second, and he meets gazes with her again. "I wasn't trying to be a jerk."

She visibly loosens at the apology, and he sees her eyes shift away from his. "It's not a problem. I won't tell anyone about your cat."

Hiccup heaves a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

An awkward silence falls as Astrid scouts out the next few feet of the trail with her eyes, and Hiccup realizes dully that she must be lost. "I think you took a wrong turn. The split is quite a ways back." He interjects, and Astrid shuts her eyes at the realization.

"I just figured that out. So much for making it to school early." She looks frustrated, mouth drawn into a taut line, and Hiccup fidgets. He could offer her a ride; she already knew about Toothless. There wasn't much else he could hide from her, besides the massive crush he's been harboring since grade school.

Hiccup restrains the urge to smack himself. This was a bad idea.

He shuffles the cat in his arms, feeling Toothless's rumbling purr through his jacket and shirt. "I could drive you to school, if you want."

This was a very, very bad idea.

Astrid's head jerks up, a bewildered expression drawing small lines into her forehead, and Hiccup nearly chokes on his own tongue. "I- It's just an offer. I could drop Toothless back by the shed- I was on my way to school anyway and my car isn't that big but-"

"No, I think I might take you up on that." She cuts him off swiftly, and Hiccup clams up, nodding dumbly in response as he turns back towards the direction of the shed.

The words _'bad idea'_ are bouncing off the insides of his skull like ricocheting bullets, but the sounds of her footsteps behind him urge him on. Toothless gives a grumbly little meow from his spot beneath Hiccup's chin, as if chastising him for his bad decisions, and Hiccup has half a mind to agree with him.

He doesn't know what he's walking into, but he knows it can't end in more embarrassment.

Right?


	5. Cedar Notes

**I'm balls deep in like forty different projects, but it's Saturday so this was my number one priority!**

* * *

 _October 23rd- morning_

Hiccup's car smells like a cedar chest.

She's not sure why until she twists to see the backseat. Catching sight of the chopped wood on his floorboard, she shoots him a strange look. He shrugs awkwardly. "Blacksmithing is a weird elective."

She accepts that, and they lapse into an oddly comfortable silence. Astrid finds herself enjoying it against her will; the morning is dark and grey, but Hiccup's a surprisingly good driver and his car smells like her dresser. Cedar is a nice smell, she could get used to it.

"Can I turn on the heat?" She asks idly, and Hiccup glances at her quickly as he brakes for a light.

"Oh, yeah sure. It takes a minute but the filter's new so it doesn't smell like hot dust yet." It feels so normal in the car, nothing like the tense atmosphere she'd been dreading.

She smooths out her jeans, fiddling with the hem of her jacket absentmindedly as she stares out the window. A thought occurs to her and she jumps on it, oddly anxious to know more about the boy sitting next to her. Hiccup was always around but never really _there._ Just a familiar face in the hallways, and for some reason, she itched to know more about his strange adventure with the secret stray.

"Has Toothless always been around? On your property I mean."

Hiccup swivels the wheel into a turn, and as they make their way down the residential street he thinks about it. "I'm not sure. He knew the area better than I did, and I lived on it, but I didn't see him until he was almost full grown." He drums his fingers as stops for a sign. "I just found him one day and I felt- responsible- I guess. Then I started feeding him when my dad was gone on business and it all kinda spiraled from there."

They take another turn into the school's lower parking lot, and Astrid studies his profile one last time as he pulls into a parking spot. It's still relatively barren, rush hour ten minutes from starting, and Astrid unbuckles her seatbelt as Hiccup gets out.

She steps out and leans up against the side of his car, resting her forearms against the roof of his car to talk to him over the top. "Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it."

He shoulders his bag again, awkward with the limelight of the conversation, and he rubs the back of his neck. "It's fine, I couldn't just let you be late if I could help it."

"Actually, you could have." Astrid picks up her sports duffel from the floorboard of his passenger seat. "But you didn't, so thanks."

He stays quiet at that, and Astrid shuts his door and gives him one last look over the top of the car. "Later Hiccup." She's jogging in the direction of the newly renovated gym before he has time to reply, and something about the morning air smells dull without the cedar note.


	6. Tapping Pencils

_October 23rd- noon_

Astrid's pencil taps a uneven rhythm against the pressed board of the lab table, and the girl next to her shifts uncomfortably. She's too far gone to notice, soaked up in her own thoughts, so when Ruff whips around from the seat in front of her, Astrid looks up. Ruff makes a weak grab for her pencil. "Will you quit? You have _no_ rhythm."

"I'll never make it into marching band with that attitude." Astrid fires back in a whisper, and Ruff makes a face at her over the back of her chair before turning back around. Marcie shifts again in the chair beside her, uncomfortable with the banter, and Astrid rolls her eyes.

Study period was a useless concept. No talking above a whisper, always have something to work on, no sleeping. Useless. Astrid sets her chin in her palm and pretends to look over the blank study guide in front of her, running a thumbnail along the edges of the packet. She knows all the answers, Norse mythology was a gimme-class anyway.

Fifteen more minutes until her lunch period, and then she could suffer through something other than constant silence. Maybe today it would be the obnoxiously long pizza line.

Astrid glances at the packet again, remembering the head of brown hair that sat in the row across from hers. He was always the first person there and the last person to leave. It was almost as if he _liked_ school. She had a healthy appreciation for it, but she didn't _like_ it. She thinks back to him and his secret cat, and that day the week before.

He'd given her a ride. He didn't have to, he could have let her fend for herself, but he didn't.

Did he want something from her? A date? Some weird favor?

Astrid shuts her eyes. What could Hiccup Haddock possible gain from giving her a ride?

She wracks her brain for something, anything, that could somehow come and bite her in the ass. Something to make her regret ever accepting the stupid favor, but she finds nothing. There was nothing Hiccup Haddock could hold against her. The realization makes her feel a pang of misplaced anger, laced with something she couldn't identify.

He had done it out of sheer pure-hearted kindness, and she hated him for it.

* * *

 **Oh Astrid. Not everyone has to have underlying motives, hon.**


	7. Bobby Pins

**My shower this morning was cold as balls, but I thought about updating this fanfic for every suffering moment.**

* * *

 _November 5th- afternoon_

She catches him in the hallway on the 5th of November.

Hiccup jumps at the sound of her knock on the locker beside him, and he whips around, eyes widening as he recognizes her. She's sweaty and disheveled from volleyball practice, and he watches as she yanks her knee guards back up her legs. Her voice is breathless as she looks up at him. "I saw you walking past the gym so I figured you were coming here."

"Yeah." Hiccup replies, throat going dry. She noticed him? And then proceeded to run and catch him? Something was wrong. Did she recognize him from that day outside? Leave something in his car? A bobby pin maybe? Gods, he hoped not, he just vacuumed it yesterday, it could be in his monster-vacc with all the cedar chips.

"I was just gonna tell you the first all-day snow is going to be this weekend." She stops, looking a little sheepish, and Hiccup tries to keep the surprise off his face. She ran all the way over to tell him that? Astrid steals a look at the spot behind his head and continues, looking out of place in front of his locker. "You've got Toothless still, right? I just figured that you might wanna bring him in or make sure he's warm."

Hiccup feels his mouth drop open, but he can't force himself to close it again. Astrid must see the shock coloring his face, because she shifts a little, as close to looking flustered as Astrid came. She tugs on her t-shirt, stretching the words "Berk Volleyball" into strange, wrinkled lines, and Hiccup stumbles back into reality enough to spit out a response. "I- I will. Yeah. Thanks Astrid."

"Cool. See ya 'round, Hiccup." She turns and jogs back the direction she came, and Hiccup watches her leave, letting his hand drop limply from his locker door.


	8. House Training

_November 7th- morning_

The weather reports make the blizzard sound vicious, so Hiccup starts housetraining early.

His father leaves Wednesday morning, a business conference in California dragging him to the west coast, and Hiccup leaves the back door open while he does the dishes that afternoon. Toothless is inside and on the dining table by the time the first rinse cycle has started, and Hiccup preps the house by laying puppy pads over every inch of the basement floor.

He's probably overreacting. Toothless was a smart cat, he wasn't going to ruin everything, but it was best to be safe.

He wakes up the next morning on the basement couch, his phone alarm blaring and Toothless's fur in his mouth. The cat is on his chest, and Hiccup realizes with a note of disgust that Toothless is a drooler.

Leaving for school was harder than getting ready for school, and after two failed attempts at leaving this house without having Toothless escape the basement, Hiccup finally makes his way out to his car. He checks again for both his keys and his phone, the two items he'd forgotten in the failed attempts. Finding both, he huffs a sigh of relief.

The Camry still smells like cedar despite all of his furious vacuuming and Hiccup double checks his passenger seat for bobby pins. Did Astrid even use bobby pins?

Hiccup resists the urge to smack himself. He needs to stop thinking about it. He needs to stop thinking about a meaningless favor that meant literally nothing, and he needs to stop thinking about a car ride that felt far too normal. He needs to stop thinking about _her._ She was out of so far out of his league he wasn't even in the stadium. He was in the parking lot, vying for snippets of game news from the hood of his car.

He breathes out a heavy sigh. It was a new day, a bright new Thursday, he could try not thinking about secret crushes and secret strays for once.

He only manages about 20 minutes, but it was a record for that week.


	9. Ditched Rides

_November 8th- night_

Her smile is apologetic, and Astrid waves it off with a flick of her hand. "It's fine! Don't worry about it." Her heart is dropping to new lows down near her knees, but she ignores the feeling.

The girl, Chelsea, nods with a bob of her redheaded ponytail. "Thanks Astrid. I'm sure one of the other girls will give you a ride."

A lie. Most of the other girls had plans to get food after the late Friday practice, and Astrid wasn't about to intrude when she had no money. She tamps down her dread and smiles at the other girl. "Have fun at the team dinner, Chelsea"

Chelsea grins and bounces off back to the locker room, and Astrid shoulders her bag, scuffing her feet on the glossy gold hardwood of the gym floor. She shouldn't walk home in the dark, especially through her normal route through the woods.

Hiccup's woods.

Astrid scowls at the tape of the red division line. Him and his stupid cat. She'd walk home the sidewalk route, fuck the half a mile. Extra exercise.

Her stomach rolls at the thought of walking home at night, next to the street at that. It was just as dangerous as walking home in the woods, if not slightly more, and Astrid feels her guts constrict with dread.

She grits her teeth, forcing back the worry as she turns on her heel towards the gym's double doors. Fuck Chelsea, fuck the dark, and fuck Hiccup Haddock with his stupid secret cat.

The doors close behind her with matching slams, and Astrid pulls her scarf up and around her face as the wind whips strands of flyaway hair out of her braid. She jogs down the steps leading down to the lower parking lot, stuffing her hands into her hoodie pockets.

It was going to be a long night, and Astrid begins it with a cold, bitter trek across student parking.

* * *

 **We're leading up to something here, hold your hats. The next chapter will be longer than my usual snippets, so prepare yourselves, I suppose.**


	10. Ticking Countdowns

**over 2,000 words of pure, unadulterated highschool fuckery, courtesy of me and a hell of a lot of wasted time.**

* * *

 _November 8th- night_

Hiccup shoves his hair back from his forehead with his fingers, huffing an exasperated sigh. "No, the periodic trends don't work like that. At all actually." He points at the paper, sliding a finger down a row of alkaline metals, and takes another sidelong glance at the freshman beside him. "You've got it backwards."

His phone buzzes from the far side of the table, and Hiccup slides an arm across to grab it, still trying to fit in explanations. Seeing 'Dad' on the caller ID, he swipes the green accept on the call. "I've gotta go home, but Jeremy, do your homework. There's still a week until the test, but you need to review everything a couple more times."

He turns his attention to the phone. "Yeah Dad?"

Stoick's voice is gruff on the other end, like he hasn't slept in a week, and Hiccup supposes that wasn't too far off the truth. He always came home from business meetings sleep-deprived and exhausted. "Son, I'm on my way home from the airport. I think I'll be home in about forty five minutes. Do you think you could order something in for dinner? You know what I like."

Hiccup's heart stutters it's way up into his throat. "I thought you were going to be home on Tuesday."

"I caught m'self a nasty cold." Stoick pauses for a moment, and Hiccup scrambles for words in the silence. "Is something wrong?"

"No no. I was just- worried. It's only Friday and you're already coming home." Hiccup rubs the back of his neck, ducking forward to take an awkward, idle step towards the empty teacher's desk.

He can hear Jeremy gathering up his things, the ruffle of papers setting him further on edge, and when his father bursts into hoarse laughter Hiccup nearly drops his phone. "That was th' plan, but I guess this business trip wasn't meant to be."

"Alright, I- I'm on my way home now from tutoring some of the chemistry kids, but I think there's take out menus in the car. How is Maybell's?"

His father coughs distantly, and his voice fades back in and he puts the receiver back to his face. "Aye son, Maybell's would be fine. I'll see you."

Hiccup jumps at the slam of the Physics lab door, and he mumbles a shaky goodbye to his father. The call ends with a click and a dial tone, and Hiccup turns to see Jeremy gone. All that's left on the table is his blue ink pen, and Hiccup comes to reality as he stares at it.

He has less than an hour to get Toothless out of the house, dispose of all the puppy pads, and vacuum the entire downstairs. All of that, and he had to wipe down any surface that could possibly, potentially, collect cat hair.

Panic sets in quickly, and adrenaline even faster.

He scrambles for his keys, stuffing them in his back pocket as he grabs his bag. The light is off and he's out the door and down the hall in record time, skidding around corners with a speed he knows is illegal in the student handbook. He bursts into a run as the double doors slam shut behind him, and he nearly trips down the parking lot stairs. He spots his car on the other side of the lot, a lonesome grey figure in the light of the streetlamps, but there's something else that catches his eye as he makes his way over.

Someone is standing nearby, a black smudge by the streetlight near his parking place, and as he gets closer he can see the light of their smartphone on the angles of their face. He's almost to his car when they jump at the sound of his footsteps, and Hiccup nearly drops his keys as they scramble into a defensive position.

"Hiccup?!" The person, who Hiccup now knows is female, shouts at him, and through the misty blue light of the streetlight he sees it's Astrid.

Oh for the love of all that is holy, it's Astrid Hofferson.

 _Again._

Hiccup bites back a mass of stuttering phrases, but Astrid beats him to the punch. She throws her hands up in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

A reoccurring question with them. "I could ask you the same thing! It's nearly nine at night!"

"I'm walking home from practice." She spits out, and Hiccup raises an eyebrow.

"At nine at night?" He can feel the needling reminder that he's wasting time in the back of his head, but for some reason he's locked in place, wondering why in the hell Astrid is walking home alone at nine at night. He shouldn't care. He should leave her be and go cover up the evidence of his secret stray cat, but something glues his feet to the ground.

Astrid takes a quick glance at the street behind them. "My ride ditched." She held up her phone, displaying the app on the screen. "I was pulling up a 'walk home safe' app when you scared me"

"'Walk home safe' app?" Hiccup wonders aloud, and Astrid turns around her phone screen for him to see.

"It alerts the police if I get knocked down or pulled off my chosen path- wait a sec." She yanks her phone back and glares at him. "You didn't answer my question."

Hiccup jerks a thumb towards his car. "I was tutoring. I could give you a ride home, if you wanted." He scrambles for traction, fingers twitching around his keys, and he curses his nervousness. It was an offer for a ride, not a pickup line. "I mean, it's not safe to walk around town this late, and I have a car and- yeah."

Astrid purses her lips like she's holding back a smile, and Hiccup wants to melt into the ground with embarrassment. "That would be really nice of you, Hiccup."

Hearing his nickname come out of her mouth with the word 'nice' sends him reeling and tumbling into a frenzy of exposed nerves and jitters, but a thought of Toothless shoves him back into reality.

"I've gotta- stop by my house first. My dad is coming home." Astrid lifts a brow, and Hiccup waves his hands around in front of his face. "I put Toothless in the house for the night, and I need to get him out before he comes home and finds him there."

Her face settles into understanding. "That's fine. It's better than walking home in the dark, anyway."

"I have-" Hiccup glances at his phone screen, lighting it up to see the time. "Thirty eight minutes, but I'll try to get you home before nine-thirty." He turns around to unlock his car door, and he feels Astrid brush past him to walk around the back to the passenger seat.

She glances at him over the top, and Hiccup hears her side unlock. "Don't worry about the time too much, it's really not a big deal." She opens the door and slips inside, and Hiccup hesitates pulling open his own door.

She's being absurdly polite and _calm_ about the strangeness of it all, making him wonder how exactly he always managed to drag her into weird situations without even trying. He slips into the driver's seat and shuts the door quickly, hearing the click of her seatbelt.

He rolls up the sleeves of his hoodie as he starts the car, and they're already out of the lot before Astrid says anything else. "I guess you took him inside for the snow."

Hiccup glances at her as he pulls onto the street parallel to the school. "Yeah. You told me last Thursday about the snow, and it's been too cold to let him wander at night so I just-" Hiccup shrugs his shoulders, "-kept him inside. He's not too keen on being a housecat, but he's happy enough, I guess."

It's the longest string of words he's spoken to her yet, and he feels Astrid's eyes on him as he turns his face back to the road. She folds her hands in her lap, glancing back out the window. "That's good. There isn't a lot of warm places in the woods when everything is covered in snow, I was a little worried."

Hiccup doesn't respond until they're back on residential roads, speeding past brick houses and trimmed lawns. He has trouble forming words through the jumble of consonants and vowels in his mouth. "Yeah- I mean, I'm glad you warned me, I might not have thought to bring him in if you hadn't."

"Hmm." Her hum of acknowledgement makes his fingers inch, and he tries in vain to concentrate on the smooth curves of the road. He's driven on this street every morning since the end of sophomore year, but this time he can feel Astrid's eyes on him, making everything feel amplified and nerve wracking. He knows he's not going to fuck up something as easy as driving to his house, but she's got a gaze that makes him feel judged.

The masochist in him almost wants her to tear him limb from limb, just so he won't feel obligated to scrape and bow in her presence.

Something is deeply wrong with him.

By the time he pulls into his driveway his nerves are frayed, and he stuffs his keys into his hoodie, the panic from earlier bubbling up as he spots the dash clock. He had twenty six minutes. That was good- that was fine. Ample time. Perfect.

Still, it felt like too little, what if there was leeway? What if his father actually meant 30 minutes and not 45? Hiccup whipped around to face Astrid, preoccupying his twitchy fingers on the handle of his door. "You can come inside if you want- or you can stay here, It won't take long to get him out and vacuum the floor- it's up to you-" He's word vomiting, spilling fragmented pieces of thought everywhere, but he's up and out of the car before she can call him out on it.

Astrid's car door follows the slam of his, and he sees her head over the top of his Camry as she maneuvers to come stand across from him. "I think I'll help you out. You gave me a ride, after all."

"You don't have to." Hiccup spits out quickly, but the set of her jaw tells him it's useless to try and talk her out of it. "Alright- I'll get the cleaning done if you can-" His mind flicks to Maybell's. Dinner. He still hasn't ordered it yet.

Yanking the stupid pen from his back pocket, he gestures desperately at her arm. She gives him a look and holds out her hand, palm up, and Hiccup clicks the pen and scribbles a number onto her palm. The last seven of the number overlaps onto her ring finger and the ink bleeds a little into the lines of her palm, but its legible and that's all he needs. "There. You've been to Maybell's right?"

She nods carefully, and Hiccup keeps going. "Just do me a favor and order from that number. The woman on duty on Fridays is Katherine, and if you mention it's for Hiccup and Stoick she'll add on discount prices." He shoves the pen into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. "Thanks Astrid."

"No problem?" She responds warily, still studying the crooked print on her hand, and Hiccup whips around to unlock the door. He flips on the lights and makes a beeline for the basement door, hearing Toothless's impatient meow as he rushes down the stairs.

The cat greets him at the door, and Hiccup scoops the cat up. "Hey bud, how was your Friday?" He hears the door shut as Astrid enters the house, and her footsteps linger in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. The cat jumps out of his arms to go greet her, and Hiccup directs his attention to the basement.

He stuffs all the- strangely unsoiled- puppy pads in a plastic bag, tying the top before going to find the vacuum cleaner. The roar drowns out the sounds of footsteps upstairs and the faint sound of Astrid's voice, and the couch and table are fur-free by the time Toothless hops back down the stairs.

"Uhhhh- Hiccup?" Astrid's voice carries down the stairs, and Hiccup freezes as he sees headlights through the basement's high window. Fuck. Fuck fuck _fuck **fuck.**_

He grabs Toothless and the bag and dashes up the stairs, seeing her poke her head out from the kitchen. "I don't think that's the Maybell's delivery." She says, and Hiccup shakes his head, feeling his chin brush the top of Toothless's head.

"I don't think so either. Uh-" He glances at the back door, seeing the path into the woods outside. He wasn't going to make Astrid walk in the dark woods by herself for his sake, but leaving her to fend off his father was the only other option. He hears the slam of a car door. No time to figure out another plan, so he was gonna have to bite the bullet on this one.

He puts his hand on the back door's handle and rips it open. "Can you fend off my dad? Just for a sec?"

Astrid does a double take between him and the front door. "Uh- Yeah. I can do that. Go. Shoo." She shuts the door behind him, and Hiccup hops down the back porch stairs, feeling Toothless wiggle in his arms in a weak attempt to get away.

He tosses the bag into the trash bin, and stealing one last look at Astrid through the window above the sink, he turns back around and sets off for the gardener's shed.

Only he had enough talent for failure to drag the volleyball captain into the clusterfuck of the century. He was stealing into the woods with a stray cat while he left Astrid Hofferson to distract his father- God, when did his life get this _weird?_


	11. Dream Son

**this is really late in the day, but for some reason I didn't like how I originally wrote this chapter, so I rewrote it. I still don't like it though, but whatever. EDIT (12/20/16) Still don't like this chapter; some things never change lmao.**

* * *

 _November 8th- night_

She watches Hiccup's back through the window as he disappears out of the reach of the porch light, and the sound of keys turning makes her whip back around. How did she always get caught up situations like this?

And why was Hiccup Haddock's presence in these situations becoming so frequent?

Tripping over herself to the couch, she manages a casual position atop the expensive leather cushions, feeling awkward and out of place. There's a English textbook on the coffee table, a sore Hiccup-colored thumb amidst the rustic furniture, and she makes a grab for it. Underneath is a wide sketchbook, but she ignores it for the sake of time. It wasn't any of her business anyway.

She flips it open as the lock clicks, and by the time Hiccup's father steps foot in the house she's pretending to read a sentence about Robert Frost.

Astrid turns a little, letting her braid fall over her shoulder, and gives an awkward wave before moving to stand. Mr. Haddock stops by the door as he spots her, keys in hand, and looks severely uncomfortable and a little surprised. Surely this wasn't the first time Hiccup had a girl over, Astrid wonders. From his father's face, it didn't look like he had _anyone_ over in a long time.

She makes her way over and holds her hand out. "Hi, I'm Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup's classmate."

Mr. Haddock gives her a glance, eyes stopping once on the rubbery school logo on her shirt, and takes her hand. He's a large man, broad shouldered and barrel chested, and Astrid wonders how Hiccup could turn out so... small. He was an ant compared to his father, and she wonders if he took after his mother. "I'm Stoick Haddock, Hiccup's father." Stoick's accent is strong, and she shakes his hand. That explained where Hiccup's lilt came from.

"Nice to meet you."

Hiccup's father nods. "Likewise." He lets go of her hand, leaning to peek around the archway.

Astrid interrupts his search, smiling brightly. "Hiccup went to take out the trash, he told me to tell you the food delivery should be here soon." Stoick gives her another glance and she keeps going, trying to burn time. "We're doing a project together. My mom works the night shift and I didn't want to wake her up, so he offered to invite me over."

Mr. Haddock rips his eyes away from the kitchen window to look at her, and he nods curtly. "He doesn't often have people over, but it's nice to meet you, Astrid."

 _Called it._

"Your son is really polite," Astrid continues anyway, nodding to keep his eyes from wandering back to the window. "He even offered to give me a ride home from volleyball so we could study. He's been a good partner."

A flicker of a smile tugs at Mr. Haddock's mouth, but it's gone in a moment. "I'm glad, Hiccup is a-" He paused, mouth pausing around a few syllables. "-kind boy."

Astrid resists the automatic furrow of her brows at the strange response, but the back door slams open before she can open her mouth to reply. Hiccup is in the room in seconds, looking a little winded, and he brushes his floppy bangs back from his face with a fidgety hand. "Uh- I'm back."

"You look like you ran a mile, son." Stoick speaks up from behind Astrid, and Hiccup laughs weakly.

"A raccoon was in the trash." He says quickly, and Astrid is glad his father can't see the twisted look on her face. She wants to laugh, but that would give him away. Hiccup's eyes flick to her and back to his father, but keeps the straightest face Astrid has ever seen. "It- scared me pretty bad."

Apparently this is a common or expected thing for Hiccup, because Stoick just nods and accepts it with no questions. Astrid has a lot of questions, but she keeps them for a better time, preferably when they weren't strung up trying to protect the identity of a stray cat.

Hiccup rubs the back of his neck and steals a glance to the fringe edge of the rug. "I see you met Astrid."

"Aye, you two got paired together for a project, I see." Astrid feels strange on the sidelines of the terse conversation, but she stays silent. Mr. Haddock shifts, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. "I'll leave you to it then." Stoick takes a step past her to touch Hiccup on the shoulder on his way towards the kitchen, his large hand nearly covering Hiccup's narrow shoulder entirely.

Hiccup seems to shrink under the weight. "Actually, it's getting late, I should take her home. The food is on it's way." He herds Astrid towards the door as he talks, and Astrid steals a glance towards the open textbook on the table. Hiccup keeps talking, oblivious to her interest in his coffee table. "Save some for me. I'll be back in about fifteen, bye!"

The sketchbook next to it catches her eye again, but Hiccup opens the door and heads out, leaving her to follow.

Tearing her eyes from the brown cover of the drawing pad, she shuts the door and hops down the steps after Hiccup, jogging to catch up to him. "That was-"

Hiccup finishes for her, jamming a key into his door lock. "Weird, awful, stressing, awkward."

Astrid rolls her eyes. "I was gonna say 'not as bad as it could have been' but I guess those fit too." She climbs into the car once he unlocks her side, and he's quiet as she buckles her seatbelt. The bluish porch light casts shadows on his face through the windshield, and when she finally turns to look at him, he's got a troubled look on his face.

She sets her elbow on the center console. "It wasn't that bad, really."

"I'm still sorry you had to put up with it, though." Hiccup responds without looking at her, and the engine revvs to life as Astrid shrugs.

"A little awkward chit-chat for a ride home in the dark? That's a steal." Astrid runs her fingernail along the pad of her thumb, and she gives him a sideways glance. The troubled look is gone, but he still looks un-assured. He was pretty worrisome, but she supposes it comes with being the keeper of a huge secret. "Stop worrying about it, it's not that big of a deal."

Hiccup spins the wheel to back out of the driveway. "Yeah, I guess it went pretty well, all things considered."

She wants to ask him why his father looked at her like some kind of otherworldly specimen after she said he invited her over, but Astrid shoves the thought to the back of her head. She shouldn't care, and she _doesn't_ care.

She doesn't care about him or his weird, strained relationship with his parental unit, and she definitely doesn't care about him. What happens behind the expensive mahogany doors of his huge house means ab-so- _lutely_ fucking nothing to her outside in the real world. As far as she was concerned, Astrid Hofferson had nothing to do with the big elaborate scheme to keep his stray cat a secret.

He just took pity on her dumb ass and took her home so she wouldn't end up in the paper's missing persons column. That was it.

Yeah, she could live with that. After this set of strange occurrences they would part ways as unlikely acquaintances. Not friends, not companions, _acquaintances._

Hiccup's voice makes her jump, and she sees him turn out of the residential road and onto Stone Creek. "Which way to your house?"

"Uh, right. I'm the third house on the right on Chesapeake drive." The words put acid in her stomach, and she wants to throw up, damn his fancy leather seats and clean car to hell. God, he was going to know where she _lived._ The falling-apart two room house was a secret, especially to people like Hiccup Haddock, with his huge two story wet dream of a house.

The poor side of town wasn't pretty, and she knew it. The last thing she wanted to become was Berk's charity case of the century, with people sending her canned goods around Thanksgiving and- _fuck_. This was bad, why didn't she just risk it and walk home? He was going to say something. He was going to give her a piteous look and blabber about it to the nerds in the Physics department and ruin everything. She wasn't even _that_ poor, damn it.

She needs to stop stressing about this. She's going to go gray early, and grey did not mix well in blondes with her hair color.

"Your dad's nice." She blurts out suddenly, making Hiccup's eyes flicker to her and back to the road in a quick motion.

He drums his fingers against the wheel. "He's a good guy, and he tries really hard to be a good dad." The words sound strange to Astrid, a little sad and a little regretful, but she turns her head back around to look at the dashboard. Hiccup doesn't notice, and she hears him take a short breath. "I don't think he knows what to do with me though."

Astrid steals another glance at his profile. "What do you mean?"

"Well I mean-" He huffs out a breath, looking sorry he even went off on the tangent. "I'm not the son he wants. He was a scholarship football player and I'm-" He waves a hand over his torso, down and back up again, and Astrid doesn't catch his drift.

"You just gestured at all of yourself." She says, and Hiccup gives an awkward laugh.

He fiddles with the seams of his steering wheel. "A lanky honors student."

Astrid makes a flabbergasted noise. "You're the valedictorian. You're every parent's dream kid."

"I'm obviously not my father's." Hiccup shoots back, a sarcastic tone in his voice, and Astrid has the urge to punch him in the side of the head, hard. He doesn't feel her seething irritation, because he keeps going, blathering with that stupid voice of his. "I'm skinny, geeky, and if I had glasses I'd be the full 'puberty did me wrong' package."

She scoffs aloud. "You're acne-free though, you've got that on your side."

"Thanks, I think." Hiccup says in an unsure tone, and Astrid blows out a heaving sigh as he turns onto Cheasapeake. "Still, my point stands. It's a blow to have some nerdy lightweight as a son when you were hoping for a quarterback."

He stops in front of her house, a dilapidated blue two bedroom with white shutters, and Astrid moves to unclick her seatbelt. "I think you're overthinking it."

"Yeah, I guess so." It's a lukewarm reply, and Astrid pushes open her door and steps out onto the uneven concrete of her street. He gives her an awkward sort of smile when she turns back, like he's thankful he got to talk to her at all, and Astrid's hand freezes on the strap of her backpack as he talks. "See ya later, Astrid."

She lifts her bag up and out of the car and onto her back. "Yeah. I'll see you." She turns and jogs up the short driveway to her house as his headlights disappear down around the bend of her street, and this time she can't bring herself to doubt the 'see you later.'


	12. Faking Sick

_November 6th- noon_

Breakfast churns in his stomach, a mixture of grapefruit juice and slightly burnt toast. He'd spotted a littering of black cat hair on the counter while pouring a glass for himself, and tipped over the cup in his haste to wipe it up.

That _had_ distracted his father from the stupid little black specks on the white counter-top, but Hiccup had wondered if the price was a little high. During his scramble to clean up he (and Toothless's) mess, he'd burnt his toast.

Even with his father's soft and slightly disappointing stare, Hiccup got out of the house with no suspicion and two pieces of burnt toast. His father had apparently accepted the fact his son was a bit of a klutz and the biggest loser ever, and for some reason that made Hiccup glad. He supposes he should feel upset, disappointed in himself and his actions, but without the weight of approval, things felt... nice. No matter what he did, his father would be sure to accept it as another Hiccup-brand type of awkwardness.

The relieving outcome of the slightly-hectic morning crashes down around 3rd period, when he reaches into his bag to feel around for a pencil. The tall edge of his sketchbook has always been present, but it wasn't today, and Hiccup fumbles his hand around the inside of his bag. He always put it between his English textbook and his AP-chem binder, and it's absence flips a switch in his brain.

He'd left it on the table. It was underneath his English textbook, he should have grabbed it when he swept up the book. But it was gone, so obviously he hadn't.

Hiccup panics a little, but he manages a cool exterior. It wasn't that big of a deal, he would get home and take it back up to his room, no biggie. Still, his father was going to be lounging around in the living room, being sick as a dog, and oh Gods. This wasn't happening.

His father was going to look at his stuff, and his cover was going to be blown.

Kaboom. Poof.

Half of the damn thing was drawings of Toothless, he couldn't let his father find it. He'd been so good about keeping the hobby a secret, and an even better (albeit patch-up job) of keeping _Toothless_ a secret.

Sitting back up, Hiccup straightens his back, trying to breathe. It was going to be okay. He could- check out early. Yeah. He could feel a headache coming. He could go to the nurse, claim sick, and go home. He'd seen other students doing it all the time, just to catch concerts or ditch class. He could do it.

Hiccup barely hears the bell, but as students start filing out, he follows mechanically. He nearly hits the person edging around the corner, and the person sidesteps away, fighting for balance. Hiccup reaches out to steady them, grabbing onto a jacket sleeve, and Astrid's face flickers through his head as he sees blonde.

It's not her though, just some random freshman, and he stumbles over an apology before continuing down the hallway.

God, she was on his mind even when she _wasn't._

Pressing a palm to his forehead, Hiccup opens the door to the nurse's office. He's not sure he's ever claimed ill and skipped before, but there was a first time for everything, right?

* * *

 **Anyone wanna hear about my day? No? It's happening anyway. I was taking a trail back home in the dark, and I stumbled across a wild possum. Long story short, I freaked out and ran all the way back home at a sprint, before realizing I had dropped my phone. I found it, but my pride is irreparably damaged.**


	13. Shows for Dad

**You thought this chapter was about Hiccup or Astrid? WRONG. This fic was lacking in Stoick.**

* * *

 _November 6th- late morning_

Certainly there was more to watch on cable than the same five programs. He had ordered 385 channels, but it feels like 10. Perhaps it was the time. Stoick flicks through the menu another time, before settling on a documentary about meerkats.

The flu had held strong all weekend, leaving him bedridden when he wasn't blowing his nose on dry tissues. Hiccup had been attentive all weekend, a silent ghost over his shoulder, and after falling asleep on the couch for the second time, he'd woke up to a shiny new box of aloe infused tissues on the coffee table.

Hiccup had said nothing about it, but Stoick had heard the hum of his car engine and the grate of gravel in the driveway right before he'd left. He'd thought he'd gone to see the pretty project partner he'd been paired up with-Astra? Astro?- but by the time he woke up again, his son had already disappeared back upstairs, leaving him with a box of soft tissues and a bottle of gatorade. (It was his favorite flavor too, strawberry watermelon, but Stoick didn't ask how he knew.)

The documentary about meerkats is getting boring, as cute as the big-eyed buggers were, and Stoick opens the DVR section with a click of the remote. A list of folders pop up. He doesn't recognize or remember most of them, but Stoick's thumb freezes over the buttons as he spots the last one.

 _'Shows for Dad_ ' is the most recent edition.


	14. Scout's Honor

**Every time I update this fic late I feel like I just missed the bell for class and you guys are all collectively kind teachers who let it slide. Either way, I hope this chapter suffices as a tardy slip.**

* * *

 _November 6th- afternoon_

Hiccup trips over himself through the doorway, keys rattling as he lets himself in. He spots his father's red hair on the couch, and relief crashes into his chest like a tidal wave as he spots the untouched sketchbook.

Stoick's voice makes him tear his eyes off the brown cover. "You're home early, lad."

"Yeah I- uh, checked out early. I felt nauseous in English." The lie feels awkward and heavy on the center of his tongue, but it rolls off evenly with no trouble, and that makes Hiccup _actually_ feel nauseous. He'd always been awkward and disgraceful, but before Toothless he hadn't been a liar.

If his father notices how his face twists, he doesn't comment on it, and Hiccup is thankful. "Ye think I made ya' sick?" His accent is stronger with the cold, Hiccup notices. It brings back memories of jumbled syllables and a long-forgotten language, but he brushes the feeling aside. He barely remembered Scotland anyway.

"No, no. Don't worry about it. I ate some burnt toast this morning so-" Hiccup meanders his way back to the couch, slipping in front of the chair to reach the drawing pad. He shrugs a bit. "Astrid needed her sketchbook anyway, so I'm glad I came home and remembered it."

Stoick takes a glance at the blank cover, and Hiccup is suddenly very thankful he wasn't the type to put his name on things. "She seemed like a bright girl." He sits up a little more, moving to throw the blanket off his legs. "How is your project coming along?"

Hiccup freezes up a little. Obviously that web of lies was gaining a strand. "Uh, good actually." Apparently being sick gave his father a sore throat and an itch for conversation. He shifts a little on his feet before plopping down into the chair behind him. "She's been busy in volleyball lately, but she's a good partner."

"Volleyball? Didn't the volleyball team make it to state?" Stoick raises his brows, and Hiccup pauses. He knew his father kept up with the school's football team, but he hadn't been too sure about the other sports, much less volleyball.

"Yeah actually, Astrid's the team captain." He runs his hands down the back of the sketchbook, feeling the fuzzy cardboard under his fingers. "She's been drilling the team pretty hard the past few weeks."

Stoick unscrews the cap to his half-filled Gatorade bottle with an idle hand. "I would think so, the team hasn't made it that far in a decade or so." He takes a swig and sets it back down against the glass of the coffee table, turning his head away to cough. "It's impressive- that they made it this year." He says in between coughs, and Hiccup leans forward in his seat.

"Astrid is pretty multi-talented. I'm not surprised the team is doing that well." He'd seen her name on the Academics board, so she was she was obviously just as smart as she was athletic. Still, talking about like he knows her makes his skin itch. A couple strange chance-encounters and he's star-struck and back to square one, with only his pathetic crush to keep him company.

Just when he had regained hope for climbing out of high school crush-free.

His father's crooked smile makes Hiccup nervous, but Stoick pays him no mind. "Waxing poetic about a girl, son?"

Hiccup flushes red, the blush hot in the tips of his ears, and he moves to stand. "I wasn't waxing poetic." He defends weakly, and shakes his head. "She's just my friend, dad. Scout's honor." Gods, was she even that? Did two car rides, a hopeless crush, and a mad dash for a cat make a good base for a friendship? He has nothing close to a clue, but he doubts the possibility anyway.

Clue or not, his father shrugs, smile stretching into a grin. "I trust you, Hiccup." He places a wide hand over his heart. "Just your friend."

"Just my friend." Hiccup repeats. He turns back towards the stairs, wishing _that_ , at least, wasn't a lie.


	15. Night Shifts

_November 13th- night_

Her face hurts from smiling.

She isn't sure she's been so pleased with herself since she got a call back from the grocery store telling her she'd gotten the job, and even then the satisfaction hadn't been this _sweet_. The 98 gleams in red ink, a bright medal at the top of her paper, and Astrid wants to frame it. It only took an all-nighter with her textbook and a pint of coffee, but the numbers were there and they were good.

Astrid presses the flimsy test packet to her face, inhaling victory, graphite, and the smell of printer ink. Sitting up, she tosses it to the foot of her twin size bed before rolling out. Her feet hit cheap carpet, and she pads out to glance at the stove clock. 9:31 gleams in red numbers. Time to wake the dragon. She cracks the door to her left quietly, knocking on the doorframe. "Mom, time to get up."

A rustle of sheets answers her, and she sees her mother sit up in bed, silhouette black against the white wall behind her. Her voice is drowsy. "Already?"

"Yep." Astrid flicks the light switch, and makes her way over to the bed. "Night shift, I'm guessing." She leans her hip against the wall, folding her arms. The heating was still off, she would have to mess with the thermostat after her mom left.

Her mother runs a hand through silvery blonde hair and sniffs disdainfully. "Until 4." She straightens out her work shirt, a polo with the company logo stitched onto the left shoulder, and plops her hands back into her lap to smooth out her dress pants.

They obviously weren't pajamas, and Astrid reaches out to fix the collar. "Sleeping in work clothes again?"

"Saves time." Came the reply, and her mother stands up, dusting off her waist as she searched for her shoes. "Have you eaten dinner?"

Nodding, Astrid jerks a thumb towards the fridge. "Left you a plate. Lasagna, although the first attempt is always the worst."

Her mother snorts. "I still can't get it right, something about the layers that I can't grasp." She meanders towards the fridge, and Astrid pulls out a seat at the table, hearing the microwave start. "How was school?"

"Alright, we got tests back today." Astrid flicks at the grain of the pale wood table absentmindedly. She'd gotten several tests back today; AP biology and Honors English were the same old B's and low A's to be expected, but her Calculus test was the crowning achievement.

She hears the shut of a drawer, and turns to see her mother's inquisitive look. "And?"

Astrid shoots her a cheeky smile. "Ninety-eight on my Calculus test. Proof is in my room."

The microwave beeps, but her mother ignores it to beam at her from across the counter. "Astrid! I'm so proud." She pulls the plate from the microwave, and moves to sit across from her. "I'm blessed with a studious and intelligent daughter."

"You flatter me, mom." Astrid drums her fingers over the table, and leans back in her seat. "How's work?"

The clink of the fork against ceramic taps twice and her mother shoots her a humoured look. "Which job?"

"Both."

"Well. Marie quit and I got charged with training the new girl. She's a sweetheart, but I don't think she's had a job before. I wonder why she got a factory job instead of something like- retail." She takes a bite, and gesturing thoughtfully at the wall with her free hand. "As for the pharmacy, it's the usual. Sit and wait all night for the random midnight visitors. The new shipment of magazines came in, though."

Astrid folds her arms again, tucking her fingers into the bunched up sleeves at her elbows. "Something to read, if you like gossip and food networks."

Her mother laughs over the rim of her glass. "Don't knock them till you've tried them. Did you know there's a vegan s'mores recipe that's under 130 calories?"

"Impossible." Astrid leans forward to take her mother's empty plate. The red numbers catch her eye again, and she grabs the cup too. "Nine forty-six."

Her mother follows her eyes. "Yep." She snatches the keys from the opposite end of the table before pressing a hasty kiss to Astrid's temple. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

Astrid moves into the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink, and turning on the water, she leans to look at her hurrying mother. "See ya!"

"Go to bed early!" Comes her mother's cry, and Astrid shouts back a quick 'got it!' as the door slams shut. She piles the last of the dishes into the dishwasher, setting it for an hour-long cycle. Drying her hands on a dishtowel, she turns back to scope out her English textbook. It's a lonely figure at the end of her kitchen table, pushed up beside her pile of spiral notebooks and an empty mug. Evidence from last night's all-nighter.

The cover makes her think of Hiccup's coffee table, and that thought leads her right back to the mysterious sketchbook. It was none of her business, but she still wondered. Was it for diagrams, notes maybe?

Maybe he actually was an artist. The thought throws her for a loop. He doesn't fit the profile; the smart types were never artsy. He's the _valedictorian_ , did he even have time for art? What the hell would he draw? His report cards?

Rubbing her forehead, she grabs her textbook off the table. Whatever he drew, she had no idea, but she didn't have the time to wonder.

* * *

 **I love writing parental relationships, especially when I get to interpret them how I please. I imagine Astrid as the polar opposite of Hiccup in this aspect, at least in this case. While he has a distanced relationship with his wealthy, single father, Astrid has a close relationship with her poor, single mother.**


	16. Valkyrian Traits

_November 15th- afternoon_

"This is stupid."

"Yes, Fish. I've grasped that much." Hiccup tosses his pencil down onto his spiral notebook, obscuring notes and flowcharts. "Valkyries were not cherubic. They were terrifyingly beautiful and powerful enough to make a grown man shake."

Fishlegs shrugs and leans against the back of Hiccup's couch. "Sorry my searches weren't thorough enough for you, smart-guy."

Hiccup runs his hands through his hair and moves to pick up his notebook, flipping his mechanical pencil back and forth in between his fingers. It tumbles over the back of his hand in a blur of black and red, and he feels it clatter against his thigh. "Whatever, let's just start over." He flips to a new page while he picks up his pencil, hoping the blank slate would help stir up ideas. "We still have a week to choose a topic, now what do you _want_ to do."

"Valkyries, dude. No-one else is gonna choose them, there's like a 75% chance for an easy A if we do it right." Fishlegs retorts, and Hiccup groans as he keeps going. "Besides, they're like, _interesting_."

"Hot, you mean." Hiccup snips back, and he preoccupies himself by scribbling 'Norse Mythology project' on the header line. The words looked strange at the top of his paper, among lined paper and blank space.

Fishlegs shrugs again. "Well, yeah. Battle-ready ladies, you know?" Hiccup makes a face and rolls his eyes, scribbling the due-date in the corner. He listens to his friend halfheartedly as he jots down more notes below the header. "What do you think a Valkyrie would look like, O' Master of Viking culture?"

Hiccup props his elbows on his drawn-knees and taps his pencil against the edge of his notebook. "Definitely not wispy. I mean, they could probably rip you apart, they must have some muscle under all that armour. They're usually blonde in lore too, so factor that in, I guess."

Astrid's face came to mind, her sharp blue eyes and blond braid. Gods, he needed to stop.

He was so _weird_. He shoves away the intrusive and vaguely creepy thoughts, rubbing uselessly his temples. Fishlegs' voice makes him look up again, and he spots the other boy fumbling with his notebook. "Crap, I gotta get to my job at the game shop." He hoists his bag onto his back as he stands, and Hiccup watches him leave. "I'll see you though. Sunday in the library, right?"

"Yeah, Sunday at the library." Hiccup responds, and he waves at him as he slips out the door. "See'ya Fish."

"Later Hiccup." The door clicks shut, and Hiccup huffs his bangs out of his face. Another day, another study session. This one was with someone else, at least. He looks over the notes he'd jotted down, and shuts his notebook. Valkyries. What a weird topic to choose.

Pushing himself to his feet, he grabs his bag to go upstairs. A flash of black by the window makes him pause, and he drops his stuff on the table as a pair of green eyes meet his. Toothless gives him a silly look through the glass before jumping off the windowsill and into the garden, and Hiccup tears after him, almost tripping over the reclining chair by the coffee table. His father is still _home,_ and Toothless needs to be as far away as possible, at least for now.

He rips open the back door and shuts it quickly behind him, reaching to grab the cat as the lanky feline trotted up the stairs. Toothless responds with a throaty purr, and Hiccup glares down at him. "This isn't supposed to be a nice hug. You're not supposed to be here."

He starts off for the gardener's shed, turning onto the familiar foot-worn path through the woods. It's freezing, way too cold to be outside without a jacket, but he brushes off the cold. Toothless needed to be up and _away_ from the house, particularly the kitchen window.

The receipt for the large plastic storage bins is still burning a hole in his back pocket, and he reminds himself to cut the entry holes in both of them that evening. It should stay insulated if he stuffed the space between them with a quilt, and he's sure Toothless was stay inside if he put his bed in there.

Hiccup's glad he liked the bed. The cat had previously refused to sleep anywhere that didn't have one of Hiccup's t-shirts laid on top, but Toothless had taken a shine to the Petsmart pet-pillow. Thank Gods. He hadn't been sure how many more of his shirts he could run through the wash before cat fur started showing up in the lint trap.

He tugs open the shed door, letting Toothless down from his arms, and the cat goes to stand next to his food bowl expectantly. Hiccup snorts. "You're pretty sure of yourself there, bud." He moves to grab the plastic bag from the shelf anyway. Toothless's tail lashes as the food rattles against the plastic, and Hiccup deals him out some before rolling the top back up.

"There. you have no reason to stalk around my house anymore." He knows he probably looks strange, talking to a cat like a maniac, but somehow it didn't really matter. Cons of being alone too much, he figured.

Brushing his hands over the cat's back, he wonders how long everything was going to last. How long until something bad happened and the system he and Toothless had fell apart.

It was only a matter of time, so Hiccup savors the moment like it was his last. Whatever worries he had, they could wait just a little while.


	17. Christmas Lights

**90 reviews already? I can feel myself getting faint.**

* * *

 _November 18th- morning_

Her walk to school is free of cats and lanky senior boys for the fifth week in a row, and Astrid wonders how that wild beast of a cat is doing. He seemed big enough to take care of himself, but Hiccup had seemed intent on making sure he was properly cared for anyway.

She's not sure why her thoughts drift over him so incessantly, but they do.

Something about him rubs her strangely. He hadn't even tried to approach her, despite everything, and she isn't sure if it was because he was shy or just intimidated. He hadn't asked her for anything or talked about her or _anything._ Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Why would he help her out on two different occasions and just... not mention anything about it at all? Certainly he expected something from her, right?

That's how it worked. Freshman year, a boy insisted on walking her home every day for a week. When he'd asked her out, she felt obligated to go on at least _one_ date with him. Sophomore year, she kissed her date after homecoming. Not because she really wanted to, but he'd bought her dinner and paid for a bouquet and- ugh. The subtle, social rules of dating were complex and stupid.

But... what if he did ask her?

Astrid shakes her head. She was not thinking about that right now. She brushes the thoughts back as the sidewalk slopes down towards the high school, noticing the odd amount of people. Something had to be happening; people didn't just show up early for fun. She cuts across to her usual haunt through the lower parking lot, walking the lines in between empty parking spaces, and she's halfway across when the lights come on.

A mixed group of staff and students cheer from a little ways away, and Astrid traces the lines of Christmas lights with her eyes. They're wired up and down the streetlights and coiled up the stair railings, illuminating the dim dawn with sparkling yellow, and she slows her pace.

The school always had enough money to do exciting things for holidays. Halloween and Valentine's Day both had dances, but they'd always shirked on Christmas. Too much room for argument, maybe. She hadn't expected much this year either, not to mention _lights_. Maybe her senior year wasn't going to be that boring after all.

Someone gets out of the car adjacent to her, and she turns to spot a head of auburn hair.

He hasn't noticed her yet, a little focused on the bright strings spiraling up and around the streetlight poles, and she tucks her hands into her hoodie pockets. "Never seen Christmas lights before, Haddock?"

He whips around, looking like he was inches from darting away like a frightened deer, but once he spots her he settles. "They've never done anything like this before." He says conversationally, and Astrid tips her head a little, humming.

"I don't think so either. I keep forgetting Christmas is coming at all." It wasn't her favorite holiday by a long shot, but she still couldn't believe it was so close already.

Hiccup shoulders his backpack a little bit, fingers drumming against the seal of his car door. She gives him a sideways glance, surveying his appearance before giving the lights another lingering look. He seemed nervous, and his hair was ruffled enough that she wonders if he's been running his hands through it all morning. Did he always look this... tired?

Hiccup's voice snaps her out of it, and she rips her eyes away from the yellow lights to look at him. "I- um. You look really cold." She raises an eyebrow, and Hiccup fumbles a little bit. "I mean, it's really cold, and you can't be that warm with your hoodie sleeves pushed up like that."

She drops her gaze back down to her rolled up sleeves. They'd gotten wet while she was washing dishes that morning, so she'd rolled them up. It's a weird thing for him to notice, and she couldn't tell if that was what he really wanted to ask her or just a last-second cover.

"I dunno, I didn't think about it until now." She unrolls them, unfolding the deep blue of her volleyball hoodie down to her fingers, and once it's done she brushes past him on her way to the staircase. "I'll see you in Norse Mythology, Hiccup."

It seemed she wasn't the only one noticing mundane things.

* * *

 **Let's begin the Slow Burn.**


	18. Favorite Candy

_November 30th_

The numbers weren't adding up.

Astrid squints at the paper under her hand, the sloppy pencil marks going fuzzy through her eyelashes. It was too early to be worrying about this, but she looks over the numbers again anyway. The money just... wasn't there. Even if they did manage to make it to Nationals, she would be tough out of luck.

A figure over the counter makes her look up, and she stands quickly, brushing her bangs out of her face. "Hi! How can I help you?" He had already started loading his items onto the conveyor belt, and she grabs a bag of frozen peas as the man makes a noncommittal noise, obviously focused on his phone.

She wants to sigh aloud, but she keeps the polite smile. It's another one of _those_ customers. The red numbers read a bright 14.55 on the screen to her left, and the man hands her a card. He was young, almost her age but not quite, and he doesn't look at her at all as he passes her the MasterCard.

She rings him up quickly, layering his receipt and his card as she hands his things back. He steals a glance at her over the top of his phone as he grabs the items, and she sees him double take. His eyes flash from hers down to her lips and even lower to her chest, and Astrid pushes away the urge to twist her face up in disgust. He meets her gaze again before mumbling a 'thanks' and turning away, bag in hand, and Astrid lets herself breathe as she watches him leave.

Gods, she hates working Saturday nights.

The store is quiet for the most part, most of the customers filing into the quick-checkout or into some of the aisles closer to the entrance, and Astrid spends the majority of the quiet time doing math on the backs of old receipts. She spends a large portion of it stressing as well, but that was an expected part of doing her finances.

A large figure makes her look up from her scribbly numbers fifteen minutes later, and she blinks in surprise as she recognizes them. Jumping to her feet, she nudges her seat back with the backs of her knees.

"Mr. Haddock, fancy seeing you here."

He tears his eyes away from his wallet to look up at her, and she sees him blink as he remembers her face. He almost seems surprised to see her at all, and she starts to scan his items as he replies. "I didn't expect to see you here, either."

The beep of the scanner fills up the silence as she looks back up, and she shoots him a smile. "What are here for this late anyway?" She knows _what_ he's here for, the candy in her hands tells her that much, but it was _why_ he was buying Jolly Ranchers at 9pm that she wants to know.

Mr. Haddock's eyes shift to the small bag she's putting the candy in, and he hands her a five to cover the cost. "Hiccup was a big help to me when I was sick, so I'm getting him his favorite candy."

"Ah." She hands him the bag and his change- 50 cents- and he pockets the coins. Two bags of jolly ranchers, $4.50 paid in cash; he was the easiest customer she's had all night, but also the one she wanted to actually have a conversation with. No time for small talk when you only bought two things. "It was nice seeing you, Mr. Haddock."

Stoick tucks the bag under his arm. "You too-" He hesitates, and has the decency to look sheepish.

"Astrid." She fills in for him, and he ducks his head in thanks before turning on his heel and walking towards the exit. She watches him leave through the automatic doors, and she turns back around to set her chin in her hands. There was 10 minutes left in her shift, and then she could go hitch a ride from her coworker and go home.

Still, a part of her ponders over her newly found knowledge of Hiccup. She's not sure when she's ever going to use the information, or if she was going to use it at all, but she can't help but remember it. Her eyes flicker to the check-out aisle of candy, glancing over the colorful logos as she turns the fact over in her head.

Hiccup's favorite candy was Jolly Ranchers.


	19. Medicine Cabinets

_December 4th- noon_

"Damn headaches." He fumbles for Advil in the cabinet, and finding none, Stoick shuffles his way to Hiccup's bathroom. It's impeccable and clean aside from the handtowel slung over the shower rod, but even that looks clean and dry. A far cry from his old man's mess and clutter.

Stoick finds the pain killers on the right side of the middle shelf, between an extra bar of Ivory soap and Hiccup's spare inhaler, and he pulls it out gingerly. It feels strange, being in his son's restroom without him around, and he dully realizes he's never actually been in here before, not since they'd moved in. He wasn't sure if he had been inside his son's room either, unless standing in the doorway to talk to him counted.

He had kept to himself, and so had Hiccup.

He hadn't been deeply involved in his son's life in a long while, at least not since Hiccup had started high school. Three weeks into freshman year, football tryouts had come and gone, and Hiccup had quietly refused both a haircut and a ride to the football meet. Stoick hadn't said much, but the terse and slightly confused conversation over the next couple of dinners had stretched on for miles.

Sophomore year came and went as well, and he'd signed report cards without looking at them and given money for academic trips. It wasn't until now that it had struck him that he and his son had barely spoken aside from small talk and the occasional praise, and that the house had gotten quiet and _empty_.

It had felt cold for the first time since Valka had gone.

His son had made it into the runnings for valedictorian, as well as second in line for a medal at the County Science Fair, and all the news had gone over his head.

There were other things that had changed. Hiccup had learned how to hide himself, lower his voice and make himself shrink with small shrugs and quiet words, and that pulled at Stoick's heart. His convoluted attempts to draw his son out of his shell had barely taken flight, but not for lack of trying. He and Hiccup were just too different, and without the mutual middle ground, all the doves of peace had fallen between the cracks.

Even with all those reasons to reach out to his son, he still hesitated.

He was hesitating now, hands on the lid of the Ibuprofen bottle, and he opens it with a push and a twist. Returning to his room, he grabbed his phone from the hallway table. He had some calls to make, and some bridges to mend.

* * *

 **Oh Stoick. Have I already told you guys about how much I love Stoick? Cause I love him a lot.**


	20. Asking Favors

**Double chapter update because I'm over-excited about kickstarting this engine. This is the start of Operation: Friendship, and step two in Operation: Slow Burn.**

* * *

 _December 7th- morning_

"This is not happening."

Toothless's purr rumbles up into his cheeks in response, and Hiccup makes a frustrated noise into the cat's fuzzy side before lifting his head. "This cannot seriously be happening! I just-" His tirade stumbles to a stop as he sputters, spitting out fur.

Hiccup wipes black fuzz from his face and glares at him. Why is is every time he gives the cat a bath, he sheds _more?_

Still, he has much bigger problems, like ones involving _trips overseas._ The news is still fresh from last night, and Hiccup had never known table conversation that could make him lose his appetite so quickly. The sentiment was crystal clear and oddly touching despite all the things wrong with it, but it had still turned his stomach when his father had announced it over dinner.

His father wanted to visit home. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if his family was normal and 'home' was a town or two away.

But no, 'home' was a seven hour plane ride away, in _Scotland._ Hiccup slumps back into the high seated stool by the worktable, putting his face in his hands and breathing in. Breathing in dust and the scent of old-wood does nothing for calming his nerves, but he feels Toothless prod his shoulder with his boxy head.

He sits up, pursing his lips as he runs his fingers down over Toothless's pointy ears. He could still remember their first few meetings after he'd found the injured and vicious cat behind his house. Step one had been letting him look at the bloody mess that was his tail, but that had been mountainous on its own. Toothless's tail had long healed, and so had the scratches Hiccup had gotten from their first run-in with one another. The tiny scar on his chin seemed to be a small payment in exchange for a chunk of Toothless's tail, but the pros had evolved to outweigh the cons.

For one, Toothless seemed to be perfectly happy mooching food and affection off him, and Hiccup wasn't sure anyone had ever looked so interested in what he was saying before. It seemed pathetic in hindsight, but if anyone could at least _look_ interested in his thermodynamics notes, it was Toothless.

The trip to Scotland is still buzzing between his temples, a hornet in a small cage, and Hiccup groans.

He couldn't go to school all wound up like this. He had ten minutes before he needed to get back to is car and drive to class, but a part of him wanted to stay in the shed forever. Toothless had a blanket in his bed, and he's sure even cat food would taste good if you were hungry enough.

Hiccup shakes his head. He could not live in a shed with Toothless. He was supposed to tutor again after school and Jeremy was not going to pass his finals by himself. Dragging himself up from the table, he gives Toothless another pat before grabbing his bag, slipping the strap over his shoulders. "I'll figure out something, I promise."

The words taste bad in his mouth, like he's said them before, but he swallows back the bitterness in his mouth to slip out the door before Toothless can follow.

He needs to find someone to watch Toothless while he was in Scotland. Someone who already knew about him and didn't mind keeping a secret.

The answer is blonde and glaringly obvious, but Hiccup wishes for another solution. Preferably one that didn't require asking another favor of Astrid Hofferson. He wasn't even sure if they were _friends_ , and he was seriously considering asking her for help _again_. Even if he did make a fool of himself and ask, where was the reassurance that she would say yes?

The situation gets more convoluted the longer Hiccup thinks about it, and he makes an effort to find literally anyone else who could possibly help.

By the time he's walked the trail back to the house, no magical idea has surfaced, and Hiccup kicks a rock halfway across his lawn in frustration. It jumps over the browned grass to skitter down his driveway, and he follows its path to the driver's side of his Camry.

He tosses his bag over the center console to land in the passenger seat. Resting his forehead against the roof of his car, he shuts his eyes, taking a breath of cold air that makes his lungs ache.

It seemed that he was going to have to ask Astrid for another favor. He just hopes he can find the guts to do it sometime soon.

* * *

 **I know chapters have seemed slow and filler-ish lately, but believe me. No chapter in this fic is a filler. Everything you see comes into play later, and everything is just a building block for something bigger.**

 **Either way, now the fun starts. More Hiccstrid shenanigans to follow.**


	21. Unusual Advertising

**I got some queries about when the plot was going to start rolling, and this is the moment.** **This is the apple you pull out of the pyramid that sends all the others sprawling. This is the apple that makes you stand in front of a grocery store employee surrounded by your mistake, and this is the apple that causes the subsequent bruising of like, 40 other apples.**

* * *

 _December 9th- morning_

Her walk is unusually cold, and strangely exciting. State competition was today, which meant ton of different things, all in her good favor. One, she got out of class for the ride to the match; two, free food; and three, peace and quiet. The bus ride over was free time and so was the ride back. More time to study. She always thought better when she was moving, particularly in cars, and she had stashed her best set of earbuds in the pocket of her jersey jacket.

Something had to drown the excitement of 12 other girls out. She was sure she could find something noise-drowning enough to keep her focused. Maybe it would be Bach, maybe it would be a rock band, she hadn't quite decided.

Seeing Hiccup waiting by his car jarrs her out of her thoughts. Her eyebrows furrow as he jogs awkwardly over, and Astrid pauses by a streetlamp. He joins her in the empty parking spaces, and she raises a pale eyebrow up at him. "Any particular reason you're waiting up on me, Haddock?"

Hiccup swallows, throat bobbing just below the collar of his hoodie, and he shuffles his feet awkwardly. "Yeah, actually."

"Well?" Gods, she could feel it. He wanted a date in exchange for all those rides he gave her. He was finally making his move, and she was going to have to suffer through some shabby Olive Garden dinner with a guy she had spent less than three hours with. There went her weekend.

"I wanted to ask for your help. With Toothless."

Astrid blinks, once, twice, and then one time more. "What?" No weird blackmail date? Relief felt weird and tangible in her chest, like water in a half empty bottle, and she searches for the right words. "You want help? With your cat?"

"Yeah. I uh-" Hiccup fumbles for a second, and she swears she can see the gears turning under his floppy haircut. "I'm leaving for Scotland for the holidays and I need someone to feed him."

Another curveball. Why her? She stuffs her hands in her hoodie pocket to hide her twitchy fingers. "And you're asking me because..?"

His green eyes flicker from hers down to an icy dip in the pavement. "You're the only one that knows about him."

"I am?" Every word out of his mouth seems to throw her for another loop, and Astrid struggles to keep up with the pace.

"Yeah, I don't know who to ask other than you." Hiccup freezes up a little, looking awkward and lankier than usual, and he waves his hands in front of his chest. "Not that I couldn't figure something out if you declined- don't feel obligated-"

Astrid snorts dismissively. "No, it's fine. I'll feed the cat while you're away."

"Really?" Hiccup sounds a little close to fainting, and Astrid steals a look back up at his eyes. They were exceptionally green today. Maybe it was the cold; grey weather always brought out greens better anyway.

She stops that runaway railcar short. No time for foolishness today, Hofferson, you had a match to win. She blows her bangs out of her face, huffing a misty half-laugh into the cold air. "Yeah, don't make me second guess myself. When do you leave?"

Hiccup takes that for an answer surprisingly well, and she watches as he checks the date on his phone. "Exactly one week from now, right after break starts."

"Hmm." Good timing. She passed his house on her walks back from work, and stopping by wouldn't put too much of a damper on her schedule. She rocks forward on her heels. "In exchange, I want something from you."

The request makes Hiccup blink in surprise, and Astrid folds her arms over her chest. "I want you to come to the State game tonight. It's after school at Hookland. Tickets are seven bucks."

Having a few more familiar faces at the game couldn't hurt, and he ticket sales couldn't bring any harm either. Hiccup seems to mull it over for a few minutes, checking his mental schedule, and after a brief pause he nods. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

Astrid shoots him a lopsided grin. "Great. See you at four, cheerleader."


	22. Eventful Fridays

**Long(er) chapter ahead. A really weird, unusually active day in the life of our favorite dorky sweetheart, Hiccup Haddock.**

* * *

 _December 9th- afternoon_

"Astrid?"

"Uh, she's in volleyball." One student pipes up from the back, and the classroom's chatter quiets as the teacher marks it down on the roll. Hiccup tries to hide the fact he'd perked up at the mention of her name, and he steals a glance to her empty chair. She never was one to talk much during class anyway, but the room feels different without the flash of blonde hair in his peripherals.

He slumps down a little, ignoring Fishleg's strange look. Everything felt amped upwards, like he was revving on an empty tank, but he couldn't seem to get his foot off the gas. She had asked him to go to the game. Was that some weird sports-talk for a date? Maybe she just wanted the ticket funds.

Either way, he was leaping on that opportunity. Seven bucks to fulfill an invitation by Astrid Hofferson? He's sure if he was still the lovelorn kid he was freshman year, he'd be dying of shock.

He was dying of shock _now,_ so he figures not much has changed.

Still, he's doubtful he can keep up the schedule he's pulling. Five hours of sleep stretched over two days was really starting wearing on him, and he's sure his metaphorical brake pads were going to wear out soon. The idea of pulling another week with next-to-no sleep is horrifying, and Hiccup is suddenly very, very glad it's Friday.

Norse Mythology flies past between his bouts of hyper awareness and fidgety absent-mindedness, and by the time bell rings, Hiccup still can't decide if the twitch in his right hand was from lack of sleep or excitement. Fish had kept to himself up until the electric clang of the bell over the intercom, but he lingers by Hiccup's desk as the rest of the class files out.

"You're acting weird, dude. What's the deal?"

Hiccup pretends to act surprised at the question, stuffing his twitchy hand in his bag to rearrange his books. "I'm just glad it's Friday."

Fish scoffs a little. "You're never glad it's Friday. You _like_ school."

"Yeah, laugh it up. I'm just twitchy from lack of sleep. No big deal." Hiccup snips back, zipping up his bag, and Fishlegs narrows his eyes a little.

"You do look a little pale. You should stop doing this to yourself. Being valedictorian can wait for some sleep." His voice is bordering on concerned, and Hiccup shifts uncomfortably.

"I'm not pale! That's just my face." Hiccup shoos him away, waving his hands in front of his face before turning on his heel. "And I'm fine. A few lost hours won't kill me."

"You say that now, but lack of sleep can increase your chances of going grey early by up to sixty-two percent." Fishlegs catches up a little to walk alongside him, and Hiccup makes a frustrated noise as he keeps talking. "You don't look like the type to age into a silver fox look, either."

"I'm not trying to achieve silver fox-dom, Fish!" He snaps back, and Fish raises his hands in a faux-retreat.

Their split-up point comes up around the bed, and Fishlegs cuts him off before Hiccup can open his mouth again. "Just try and get some sleep, alright?"

Taking a step down the right hallway, Hiccup glances down the art hall. "Yeah, I'll try."

They part ways with that, Hiccup heading towards the Physics lab and Fishlegs to the gym. Hiccup runs a hand through his hair as he makes his way past the art room, trying to avoid the wandering eyes of the art teacher. She'd taken a particular interest in him after catching him with his sketchbook, and she'd been hellbent on dragging him into her classes since.

He fails. Miserably. Hiccup deflates as he hears his name, and he braces himself for impact as the tall woman catches up to him. "Hiccup! How's the art?"

Checking to see if anyone heard her, he shrugs awkwardly. "Um- alright I guess."

The students filter past disinterestedly, to Hiccup's relief, and the woman puts her hands on her hips. "I was impressed by what you drew the other week. Your eye for detail in still life is amazing."

"Thanks." The gratitude is there, under layers of discomfort and humble shyness, but Hiccup ducks his head bashfully and lets the compliment roll off the back of his neck. She keeps going, undeterred by the fact he's itching to melt into the floor.

"We're doing a segment on scenery art and charcoal sketches, I'm sure I could work some of your art into the powerpoint if you wanted." The offer is sweet and genuine, but Hiccup's heart does a set of gymnast moves inside his ribcage.

He fumbles awkwardly with the strap of his bag, avoiding the teacher's gaze. "I'll see what I can do, if you really want me to."

She beams at him and waves a hand. "Great! If you decide on it, you can come and see me. I'll let you get to class now."

"Thanks. I'll see you Miss Fierce." Hiccup dashes for the opportunity to leave, mingling back into the flood of last-minute students on their way to class. The science building is close by, just close enough that Hiccup doesn't have to rush to make it in time, and he steps into the lab room with heavy steps. Last period of the day. He just had to survive another hour.

He takes his seat in the corner, exchanging glances with a dark haired girl near the front of the room. She smiles at him, a slight smirkish tilt of her lips, and Hiccup awkwardly waves back as the bell rings. She must be new; that seat had been empty days prior.

He wonders who switches schools right before the semester break.

Either way, the class is spent brushing up for exams, and Hiccup scribbles out answers and formulas inside his review packet when he's not dazed out. A noise makes him scramble out of one reverie, and he looks up to see the new girl. She's got her packet and a mechanical pencil in one hand, and she pulls a lab stool from under the table to sit next to him. "Mind if I ask you some things? The teacher sent me to you."

"Um- yeah. Sure. What do you need?" He pulls his own packet out, dragging his pen out with it, and the girl takes a seat.

"I'm a little fuzzy on this, I learned it sometime near the beginning of the year, but it's completely slipped my mind how to do it." She makes a swirly gesture up near her temple and leans forward, shoulder bumping against his as she points her pencil at a blank question.

Meeting his eyes again, she gives him carbon copy of her smile earlier. "I'm Heather, by the way."

Hiccup tears his eyes away from hers, nervous despite himself. Whoever this Heather was, she was obviously not shy about personal space. "They call me Hiccup. Welcome to Berk."

If she notices his discomfort, she ignores it, leaning in his direction as he explains fluid mechanics. Hiccup stutters as his shoulder brushes his again, and once the sheet is thoroughly covered in formulas and process steps, she pulls away.

"I think I got it now. Thanks, Hiccup." She says his nickname like she's known it for years, and Hiccup averts his eyes in embarrassment.

"No problem." She's back in her seat before Hiccup can fully gather himself back together, and the jitters come back full force. She had gotten really _really_ close to him. He takes a glance at Heather's black hair and fumbles with the end of his pencil, before moving his gaze onto the clock above the whiteboard. 5 minutes until the final bell.

When it rings, Hiccup gathers his things and prepares to leave, stuffing his Physics folder in alongside all of his other books and papers. Heather lingers for a moment before leaving, but Hiccup doesn't miss the look she gives him before she leaves.

He brushes it off in favor of better things, and after an uphill climb through the after-school crowd, he finally makes it to his locker. Another three minutes are spent simply trying to get the fussy thing open, and he tosses his books inside, keeping his homework and sketchbook in his bag for safekeeping.

The chill bites at his nose as he makes his way back outside to his car, and he suddenly wishes that winter could just _end_. Anything could be better than the oppressive cold, he's sure of it. He tosses his bag over the center console, watching it tumble into the floorboard of the passenger seat. He could pick it up later.

The cedar smell is still cloying and woodsy in his nose, and he notices it for the first time in months, wondering idly when it was going to go away. Certainly he wasn't doomed to have a cedar scented car _forever._

Once the car is marginally warmer, he pulls out of the school and sets fast track for Hookland, checking his phone for the time. He passes thoughtfully over the turn off for his street, making a right back towards the highway. Hookland was an hour away with traffic, and he was sure he'd make it by four if he left now. Given that there wasn't a four-car pileup on the freeway.

There isn't, in fact, a four-car pileup on the freeway, and Hiccup hits most of the lights green, to his infinite disbelief. The hour-long trip is smashed down in barely forty minutes, and he pulls into the school with time to spare. Twenty minutes, to be exact, and after a long bout of indecisiveness, he yanks his bag up from the floorboard.

His phone buzzes loudly from the cupholder halfway through his search for his history homework, and he grabs it, sliding the green 'Accept' without looking at the ID. "Yeah?" He rummages further into his bag. Finding nothing, he sits upright in his seat. "Okay dad, slow down a bit. You spilled what? On _what?_ "

Hiccup presses a hand against his face, sliding it over his nose and jaw as the response comes over. "Take out the battery and wipe everything off."

His father grunts over the line. "Why?"

"Just- I've been doing this for a while. Trust me." Hiccup mumbles, stealing glances over the courtyard he's parked in front of, and he hears a click and a snap.

"'s'done."

Hiccup drums his fingers against the wheel impatiently, glancing at his watch. 3:45. He had plenty of time, but he fidgets anyway. "Alright, now put all of the pieces in a bowl of dry rice."

His father makes a near-scornful noise. "Son, that is stupid."

" _Trust me_. The rice soaks up any water you might have missed." Hiccup repeats into the receiver, and he hears his father shuffle and shut cupboards.

After a stiflingly long moment, his voice comes back. "I hope this plan of yours works, lad."

"If your luck is good, then it will." Shuffling in his seat, Hiccup returns to his bag. "I gotta run. I'll see you later tonight." Where was his history homework? He could have sworn he put it somewhere in between his folders. After a noise of assent his father ends the call, and Hiccup moves back to yank his things out of his backpack. No history homework to be found.

He narrows his eyes at the pile of notebooks in his passenger seat. Where could it have gone? It was just paper. With a slow realization, he remembers he put it in his history book.

Which he then put in his locker. Damnit.

Slumping back down in the driver's seat, Hiccup pouts disinterestedly at the trees shadowing his view of the rival school. Great, now he was early and he left his homework in his locker. Wonderful. He scans the trees again, fidgeting with a loose thread on his shirt.

His eyes wander to his sketchbook. He had fifteen minutes, and it wasn't like there was anything better to do.

Hiccup makes a grab for it, digging around for the tin of sketching pencils and charcoal he kept near the bottom of his bag. Finally nabbing the aluminum box, he sits straight again, propping his sketchbook up against his steering wheel.

Drawing was a little more interesting than homework anyway.

* * *

 **I'm making an 8tracks playlist for this fic, but I only have 6 tracks, so if you have some songs that remind you of this fic, throw 'em at me!**


	23. Charcoal Smudges

**To the person who suggested 'The Fray' song, bless you. I actually have Over My Head (Cable Car) on the playlist already!**

* * *

 _December 9th- afternoon_

Astrid's arms hurt. Scrimmaging among one another proved to be a useless warmup. With all the giddy and anxious euphoria, the girls are having a hard time keeping the ball up in the air, even with her (admittedly aggressive) help.

After another lousy attempt at picking up the slack, Astrid jumps and spikes the ball back down from the middle of the circle, grabbing it on its second bounce.

"None of you are paying any attention to what you're doing." The words are much blunter than she anticipated, but she doesn't cringe or flinch. It was true, harsh, but true.

One of the girls scuffs her feet on the hardwood. "Sorry Astrid. I guess it's the pre-game nerves."

She feels like a bitch, calling them out like this, but after an hour and a half on a bus doing Calculus homework, she's not interested in excuses. Just results. Astrid tosses the ball back up, setting it to the other end of the circle. "Well, try harder."

The girls scramble back into formation, one of them ducking forward and shouting 'got it!' as she bumps it back over to the other side. Astrid lets the girl next to her grab it, and after a long five minutes, the ball hits the floor with a finite thump. She doesn't let the ice-queen facade fall, serving it up again, and the cycle starts over.

Another team joins them in the gym as they practice, then another, until it's finally game-time.

They're fourth on the list, one of the first matches, and Astrid leaves the pep-talk to the coach as she watches the competition. Her spot by the locker room door offers a great view of the gym and the teams gathering on either side of the net, and she doesn't squander it.

The Hookland girls are looking cheerful and in their element, probably because it's their gym, but the competition is rough. Blue Ridge is fierce and well diversified, a strong team. Even with all the flaws to study and weaknesses to exploit, her eyes wander to the stands.

Not a lot of people have come in yet, but she searches anyway. She doesn't know what she's looking for until her eyes settle on a brunet boy by the Hookland seats, and she feels a flicker of impatience. What was she doing, looking for him anyway? She palms her forehead, masking her irritation as an attempt to smooth back her headband.

Ruffnut interrupts, throwing herself against Astrid's back, and Astrid stumbles forward before turning to glower at her friend.

Ruff ignores her glare. "Who ya' looking for, captain?"

"No-one." Astrid replies gruffly, shouldering her off, and she steals one more look at the crowd gathering in the stands. "I was just wondering who was coming."

The other blonde shrugs, her braids bobbing. "I invited a couple people. I think Snot's coming-" Astrid lets out a low groan, but Ruff plows on anyway. "-Ooh, and that Eret guy. I think he might come too."

Astrid doesn't care at all about Eret, but even a mere mention of Snot is enough to send her reeling with dread. He couldn't take half a hint, and she isn't fond of the idea of explaining the concept of 'no' to him again. Feeling her phone buzz against her palm, Astrid meanders away from her friend's grabby hands and excited blathering to head towards the gym doors, thumbing the 'accept' on the call as she went

She regrets not bothering to read the caller ID when she hears an automated recording on the other end. Damn telemarketers. She slumps against the outside wall as she hangs up, folding her arms under her chest as she surveys the parking lot.

Astrid spots him before anything else.

He's beside his dark green Camry, fumbling with something that looks like a book, and she scrambles for a cover. Opening a random app on her phone, she unfocusedly throws herself into it. It's the 'notes' application, and she pretends to look interested in her schedule for next week as he approaches.

He couldn't know she was looking at him. That'd be _so_ weird. _Hey Hiccup! I swear I was just answering a call, not waiting up on you or anything. I couldn't care less if you came, other than the fact you're another seven dollar ticket._

Why had she asked him in the first place? A stupid lapse in judgement... or something.

Astrid blinks down at the list of weekdays and times on her phone. Definitely the former.

He notices her about halfway across the courtyard, and she looks up as he jogs to meet her. Feigning surprise, she lifts a hand in an uninterested wave. "Oh, hey Hiccup."

"Hey Astrid." He's bright eyed and cheerful, a stark contrast to the nervousness she was used to seeing, and Astrid notices the dark black smudges against his hands. Charcoal? Graphite? It was something along those lines, and she notices he has one down the line of his jaw too. It's right alongside a silvery scar on his chin, and Astrid stares at the mundane collection of characteristics for a second, appalled at herself for even noticing them.

The feeling passes, and gesturing at his chin, she points the smudge out. "You've got a smudge."

He puts a hand to his cheek, which would have worked had his hands not been covered in charcoal as well, and Astrid huffs out something crossed between a laugh and a sigh. "It's on your hands too, now it's all over your face."

"Crap." He fumbles with his shirt, lifting up the hem to scrub at his face. The charcoal leaves faded lines in his deep-grey shirt, but Hiccup doesn't seem to care. Astrid watches him numbly, eyes following his hands down to his waist.

She suddenly feels like she's trying process loads of information at once, and her brain is about as efficient as an outdated computer.

She comes to two conclusions by the next time he speaks, and all of them make her want to beat pinatas with a sharp machete.

One: Hiccup Haddock, resident nerd and valedictorian, was not as scrawny under his shirt as she'd initially thought, and it made her angry. Two: She had actually just stolen a look at Hiccup Haddock's torso, and that made her _furious_.

He didn't even have muscles under his shirt, just something that hinted at possible... potential? She has the sudden, strong urge to slam her forehead repeatedly against the wall. She wasn't supposed to care what he looked like under his t-shirts, and she wasn't supposed to notice stupid things like the scar on his chin or the number of freckles on his nose. He was some scrawny brunet with a weird cat; not exactly someone she should be stealing glances at.

Hiccup's voice snaps her out of it, and Astrid is suddenly glad she had re-directed her gaze to his forehead when she dazed off. Being caught with her eyes at stomach-level definitely would have given her away. "Did I get it?" He looks a little flustered, but clear-faced, and Astrid nods.

"Yep. You're in the clear." She folds her arms again, tucking her phone underneath them, and refrains from shivering in the cold. Volleyball shorts and a short sleeve jersey weren't good examples of winter-gear, and she waves Hiccup in the direction of the gym doors. "You still have time to get a good seat. Our game starts in about fifteen minutes. I gotta go make sure the team is ready, so I'll see you later."

She jumps into a jog towards the girls as she opens the doors, leaving him to check in and buy a ticket, and she convinces herself the flush in her cheeks was from the cold.


	24. Twisted Ankles

_December 9th-_

Hiccup was starting to remember why he didn't go to sports matches.

The sounds of people babbling and shouting is mingling together in a loud chaotic roar, and as much as he wants to take out his phone and ignore it entirely, the fear of being _that_ guy is a little too strong.

Instead he folds his arms against his chest and leans forward in his seat, rubbing his thumb along the perforated edge of his ticket. He'd been the twelfth person to buy one. Twelve was his lucky number, and he hopes that meant Astrid would have good luck too.

The game was set to start in ten minutes, and Hiccup switches between not looking at Astrid and trying to look like he wasn't looking at Astrid. It's a delicate process, looking and looking away when her back turned, and Hiccup plays the dangerous game very, very carefully. Getting caught looking at Astrid mean a lot of things, and one of those things was blowing his already-unstable cover.

As if a badly-hidden crush had a cover in the first place.

Finally the buzzer clangs, and the teams settle into positions as the ref explains the rules of the match. The last few viewers are filtering in through the double doors, and as the last few people join the rest in the bleachers, the game starts. First serve goes to the other team, and the match has begun before Hiccup can refocus. The ball goes over the net a few times before slamming back down on Berk's side, and he hears a mixture of groans and cheers.

Serve goes back to Hookland. A girl with black hair smacks it over the net, and a Berkian jumps, a well executed set opening for a spike. As the game wears on, Hiccup feels his neck start to hurt from jerking his head from either side of the net to the other.

Finally it's Astrid's serve, and she accepts the ball as she settles into position. She jumps as she serves, and the ball goes back and forth before it opens up again. She ducks forward and bumps it to someone, and in a well executed set, the ball is back on the other side. She serves two more times after that, each one just as perfect and precise as the one before. She's silent and determined, no hints of nervousness, and he sees the other Berk girls steal glances at her in between serves.

Finally it narrows down to the nuts and bolts, and while Berk is pushing a slow but solid lead, he feels the tension tighten. Astrid is picking up the slack where the other girls are leaving it, and with every hard landing, Hiccup feels himself flinch. She was going to sprain something from all the jumping and ducking and diving she was doing.

A fierceness has worked itself onto Astrid's face, and it gains venom every time she has to save a move that doesn't belong to her. Hookland is slowly but surely catching up. The last bit of the game happens too fast, Hiccup feels lost. Everything moves quickly, and between leaning forward and anxiously trying to decipher the crowd's responses, he watches Astrid's face.

He feels weird doing it, but he can tell from her expression how bad a play was, or how close to the end of the game they were drawing. She smacks the ball over the net one last time before the game is over, and he doesn't miss the way her ankle rolls underneath her.

He had known it was going to happen, with her doing everything she was doing, but he still makes a face on her behalf. The gym erupts into cheers in the next moment he's paying attention. The Berk girls are celebrating so he claps along with the rest, feeling left out of the loop.

Hiccup supposes it's what he gets for being absent-minded. Astrid meets his eyes from her spot on the gym floor, and he smiles awkwardly as he stands up along with the rest of the audience. She glances away quickly, and he notices idly that she wasn't exactly jumping for joy. Both in the literal sense and the metaphorical one. Her face is happy, but the smile dies every time someone isn't looking at her.

They've made it to round two as the second match, making them first in line for the matches tomorrow. Hiccup bides his time in the intermission as she disappears into the locker room, taking awkward glances at his phone. When Astrid comes back out she's in jeans and a Berk High tee, and she waves him over as she passes through the double doors to his left. He takes the hint and follows her out.

She's up against the brick when he makes it out, and she waves at him as he comes out, taking a careful step towards him. "Hiccup! Hey." Astrid flaps her hand uselessly in front of her face, looking uncharacteristically nervous, and Hiccup smiles awkwardly back.

"Hey. Good game, you guys did- um." He fumbles for a word. "Well."

Astrid hacks out a cross between a laugh and a cough. "Yeah. Well. I didn't understand half that match either. I think it was just a fluke, or some kind of magical luck."

Hiccup's suddenly reminded of the 'lucky' ticket burning a hole in his pocket. "I doubt it was luck. I think you touched the ball more times than your entire team."

"Yeah." Astrid shrugs uselessly again, ponytail bouncing over her shoulder. "I couldn't let the ball hit the ground if I could help it."

His eyes flicker back to her ankle, and he knows she noticed, because her gaze grows nervous again. "It's um. Just a sprain. I just landed funny on that last jump." Her face is flushed, and Hiccup can't tell if it's from her injury or just from overexertion.

Astrid interrupts his thoughts again, and he looks up to see her looking sideways at the ground. "Speaking of that, I wanted to ask if you knew where I could get an ace bandage. It's a long walk from my house to the pharmacy, and I don't want the girls knowing how bad it is before the game tomorrow."

He nods blandly, fishing his keys out of his back pocket. "Yeah, I know there's a place that sells them down off 5th."

"Thanks Hiccup." She seems to visibly deflate a little, looking a less strung-out than she had been moments prior, and she gestures back towards the doors. "I already told the girls I wasn't tagging along to the celebratory dinner. They're going to some burger shack down the road."

Hiccup raises a brow as she starts towards his car, and he follows, jogging to catch up. "How'd you get them off your back about that? You're the captain."

Astrid flashes him a wolfish smile, full of sharp humor. "I lied and said I was vegan."

* * *

 **OH ASTRID. My wolf in sheepdog's clothing. Not benign enough to make it as a sheep.**


	25. Ace Bandages

**It's still the 20th somewhere, right? My wi-fi went out when I was gonna post this, so I've been sitting in anxious anticipation for it to come back on. On the bright side, this fic is outlined up until the fortieth chapter, and we're in for a loooong haul.**

* * *

 _December 9th- evening_

"You know, if you keep giving me rides like this, I'm gonna start feeling like a celebrity." Astrid says, clicking her seatbelt into place. She steals a look at the CD slot, fumbling with the seam of her phone case. Was Hiccup the type to keep CDs? What did he even listen to? She wonders if she should ask.

Hiccup gives a wry laugh as he ducks into the car. "Never thought I'd end up as the chauffeur for Berk High's volleyball captain."

Astrid makes a noise in the back of her throat, tugging her headband back into her place. "Bluh, don't remind me. My primary school survey was wrong, I am _not_ suited for peer leadership positions."

"Aren't we all?" Hiccup remarks sarcastically. He slips the keys into the ignition, revving the car to life. "What happens if you make it to Nationals?"

She blows her bangs up out of her face with a long sigh. "Well, I go broke, and we go to Georgia."

"Jeez. Why Georgia, though? Wouldn't someplace like California be more fun?" Hiccup glances behind him as he pulls out of the parking lot, swiveling the wheel to maneuver past the collection of cars.

"Don't even, I can barely afford the trip as it is." She props her chin in her hand, lazily watching the cars pass. "I think we're gonna do a fundraiser if we make it, but I'm not even sure we'll get that far."

He hums absentmindedly, the sound low in his throat. "Well, if today was any indication, you'll be just fine."

"Maybe." Astrid says half-heartedly, not believing it enough to agree. If her ankle was half as bad as it felt right now, they were going to get slaughtered tomorrow. Part of her was almost glad- paying the three hundred dollars for airfare on top of everything else sounded like a painful death. Best to crush her teams' hopes early so they could start focusing on next year.

The rest of the ride is quiet, and they lapse back into the comfortable silence they'd been in a few weeks prior. She wonders if this was going to become a regular thing, hitching rides off the valedictorian. She wonders if this makes them _friends._

She wonders why that idea bothers her less every day.

Hiccup seemed... nice. Honestly nice. A lot less awkward than he was freshman year, but still invisible enough to fly under the radar. Astrid worries her lip between her teeth as she mulls it over, watching the road under the car. If you'd asked Astrid Hofferson from two years ago about Hiccup Haddock, she might have shrugged or rolled her eyes, but now she was sitting in a car next to him. And not even for the first time, either.

What impossible thing was going to happen next?

Maybe she'd adopt a bird.

Hiccup pulls a smooth right into a parking lot, and Astrid lifts her head from her hand as he finds a parking spot. "This is probably the shadiest part of town ever, but I'm pretty sure they sell pharmaceuticals and health products for insanely low prices. Ace bandages included."

"You should be a travel agent." Astrid replies seamlessly, and Hiccup snorts before turning to open his door.

Astrid follows, wincing as she puts weight on her sore ankle, and Hiccup lingers by the hood of the car. "Do we need to add crutches to the bill?" He says with a serious expression, and Astrid blows a raspberry at him.

"Very funny." She half-limps in his direction, pulling her wallet out of her shorts pocket. "I have," she glances into her wallet, "ten dollars, so unless you know someone who can get me a good deal on crutches, I think I'll just stick with the bandage."

They were getting good at this 'humourous banter' thing. They must realize that at the same time, because they exchange a short look before he turns away, rubbing at the back of his neck. She pulls open the door for the both of them, and the short woman at the counter looks up as the bell rings.

The ace bandages are at the back, and she grabs one before meeting Hiccup back at the counter. He's grabbed two bottles of water, and she passes him her ten to cover her part of the bill. Checking out together feels oddly domestic, just like everything else they've done together this month, and Astrid masks her awkwardness with a glance out at the parking lot.

"Have a nice day, you two." The woman says cheerfully, emphasis on the 'you two,' and Hiccup accepts his change with a muted 'thanks.'

She wonders if he feels just as awkward about this as she does. She shrugs off the feeling and walks back out with him, letting out a short laugh to dispel some of the tension. Hiccup gives her an incredulous look, and she leans to grab one of the water bottles from him. "The way this is going, we could start sneaking into couples' nights for free food."

For a moment it looks like he's going to combust right in front of her, but he turns away with a nervous laugh instead. "Yeah, that was pretty awkward."

Called it. She wasn't the only one about to melt into the floor in there.

There's a diner at the end of the strip, and Hiccup apparently notices her glance in its direction. He pauses, shooting a glance at her over the low roof of the car. "Did you skip the celebratory dinner because you weren't hungry, or are you actually a vegan?"

She grins at him. "Neither. Are you really serious about that 'posing as a couple for free food' thing, Haddock?"

"What? No-" he sputters, "I was just-"

She brushes past him in the direction of the diner, laughing at his flustered expression. "I'm kidding. The free food thing only works if you propose."

* * *

 **Thank you for all your kind words, and I cannot tell you how good it feels to be back. No promises if my schedule will stay as nice as it is now, but hey. I'll make time eventually.**


End file.
